Alonzo j



(ModeL) A. J. SIMMONS.

STEAM AGTUATBD VALVE.

Patented Feb. 21,1882.

INVENTOR W WITNESSES;

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO J. SIMMONS, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

STEAM-ACTUATED VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,059, dated February 21, 1852.

Application filed September 12, 1881. tModel.) I

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, ALONZO J. SIMMONS, of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Actuated Valves for Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the steam-chest, steamactuated valve, and steam-cylinder. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same. proved steam-actuated valve, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of my improved steam-chest.

My invention relates .to improvements in steam-actuated valves for steam-engines; and it consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

ing a centralcylindrica'l or annular chamber,

h, with a valve-chamber, h, at each end thereof, of less diameter than the annular chamber h, which is adapted to receive a valve, 8, which reciprocates therein, and has for its seats the opposite ends of the opposite valve-chambers h.

The cylinders or valve-seats g g are each pro-.

vided with annular exhaust-ports Z l, leading through openings Z in the steam-chest to the opposite ends of a steam-passage, 'm, provided with a central exhaust-port, n. The cylinders g g are also each provided with an annular steam-passage, 0, each of which is connected with the steam-cylinder by the opposite angular steam-passages, p p, which lead into the cylinder near its opposite ends.

q represents a port for the passage of steam from the boiler into the annular chamber h of the steam-chest, and r r represent ports leadin g from the steam-chest into the steam-cylinder near its ends, for the passage of steam into the cylinder.

Fig. 3 is a view of my im-v 8 represents a cylindrical valve adapted to be received in the cylindrical chamber h and reciprocate therein, steam-tight joints being formed between the sides of the cylindrical valve and the sides of the cylindrical chambers h as the valve is reciprocated. The periphery of the cylindrical valve 5 is provided with a circular recess, t, for the passage of steam, and the sides of the valvea re beveled inwardly from theircircumterences to the stems of the valve. The valve sis provided with two cylindrical valve-stems, u a, formed alike and lying on opposite sides of the center of the valve, and secured thereto at their inner ends, or preferably cast therewith. The val ve-stems a a are each provided with'an annular groove, t, in its periphery, near its outer end, for the insertion of circular metallic or other packingrings to form steam-tight joints between the valve-stems and their seats.

11 0 represent annular recesses or steam-passages made in the peripheries of the valvestems on opposite sides of the valve, and at the same distance therefrom, one of said recesses registering with one of the annular ports Heading to the exhaust when the valve is antomatically reciprocated in one direction, and

the opposite ports I registering with the other annular port Heading to the exhaust when the valve is automatically reciprocated in the opposite direction. The cylindrical valve-stems u u are also provided with annular recesses 'w to at the junctions of the inwaidly-beveled sides of the valve with the valve-stenis.

a0 .1." represent steam and exhaust passages, lying one above the other, in the valve-stems,

oneof the steam-passages, a", leading into one of the annular recesses o in the periphery of one of the valve-stems,and thence to the righthand end of the opposite valve-stem, and the other steam-passage, to, leading from the opposite annula-r recess 1; in the periphery of the opposite valve-stem, and thence to the lefthand end of the opposite valve-stem, the annular exhaust-ports ll being both connected 5 with the exhaust at the same time when the valve is at either end of its stroke. By this construction it will be seen that steam entering the central annular chamber, h, from the boiler in any position of the valve will entirely surround the latter, and that it will thus be a balance-valve having an equal steam-pressure exerted on all parts of its periphery.

The operation of my automatic steam-valve is as follows: Suppose the valve has been reciprocated to the left, and that the piston has also been moved to the left-hand end of the steam cylinder, as shown in full lines in the drawings, and that steam has been admitted into the annular chamber h from the boiler through the port q. The steam thus introdl'ccd will pass from the annular chamber through the steam-passage or to the left-hand end ot the valve-stem, and thence through the port 7* into the steam-cylindi-r at the letthand end of the piston, and force the latter to the opposite end of the steam-cylinder. When the lefthand face of the valve is sealed the steampressure upon its right-hand face is exerted toward the left and keeps the valve so seated, but at the same time a pressure on the valve toward the right will be exerted by the action of the steam upon the left hand end of the valve-stem, and the valve is kept so seated by the preponderance of pressure upon the righthand face of the valve over that on the lefthand end of the stem; but when the piston has passed the lower end of the angular passage p the live steam will pass through that passage and impinge against the left-hand face ofthevalve and destroy and reverse this preponderance by rendering the steam-pressure upon the left-hand face, combined with that upon the left-hand stem, greater than that on the righthand face of the valve, which will unseat the valve and move itto therightsuch adistanceas will permit the steam to pass freely around the edge of the valve from one face to the other, and during such free passage of that stea'm the pressure on the left-hand stem will drive the valve so far to the right before the steam acting upon the end of the lefthand valvestem begins to exhaust that the valve cushions in the righthand valve chamber to such extent that the free passage of steam from face to face of the valve is stopped, and the steam on the right hand face, by means of the angular steam-passage 1;, commencing at the same time with the steam on left-hand end of stem to exhaust, the steam on the lefthand face continues the motion to the right until the valve is firmly seated on the righthand face. The cushioning of the valve referred to is attained by making the right and loft valve-chambers larger at their openings than at their back ends, where the valve seats itself, which flare or narrowing is of such degree that the valve is compelled to go in with a spring, meeting, until the steam on the righthand face commences to exhaust, an increasing resistance, that, as it were, lets it down easily on the seat. The live steam will then enter through the steam passage :0, thence through the port 1' at the right-hand end of the cylinder, and make a return-stroke of the piston, the steam near the end of the returnstroke passing through the angular passage p and again automatically shifting the valve and leaving the exhausts open.

I claim as my invention 1. The cylindrical balance-valve s, having a circular recess, t, and beveled sides, and provided with the opposite cylindrical valvestems, it, having annular recesses 21 w, and angular main steam and exhaust passages a? or, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The cylindrical steam-chest d, provided with the opposite cylindrical valve-stem seats, 9 9, having annular exhaust-ports l l, annular steam-passages 0, annular central chamber, h, between the valve-stem seats, and valve-chain bers h, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

- 3. The combination, with the cylindrical balance-valve .9, having opposite valve-stems, a, all constructed as set forth, of the cylindrical steam-chest d,provided with the opposite valvestem seats, 9 9, ports l l, annular steam-pas sages 0, annular steam-chamber I1, and valve chambers h, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the automatic cylindrical balance valve 3, having opposite valve-stems, 'u, and main steam and exhaust passages w w, of the steam-cylinder a and an gular steam-passages p 11, whereby the valve is automatically reciprocated, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination,-with the steam-chest d, provided with annular exhaust-ports l l, of the valve s and valve-stems it, having the angular passages 00 ac, connecting alternately with both opposite exhaust-ports at the same time, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the cylindrical steam -chest d, provided with opposite cylindrical valve-stem seats, g, an nular 'chamber h, valve chambers h, and balance-valve s, having valve-stems a, all constructed as set forth, of the steam-cylinder a, provided with the piston b and rod c, and angular steam-passages p 12', leading from the steam-chest to the cylinder, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

ALONZO JINISON SIMMONS.

Witnesses:

JAMES MILLESON, JACOB W. Lonrnn. 

